Believe
by Azurela
Summary: "Sometimes all you have to do is believe in yourself and trust in who you are and you'll see that everything will be alright." AkuRoku. Requestfic for The crows eye for Bully Awareness Month. Rated M for possibilities.
1. Curiosity

A/n: I don't usually do requests but, I got asked nicely by -the crows eye- to do a story for Bully Awareness Month on Bullying. So that's why this' coming about and I've just been rolling along with it. I think I needed a fresh idea. I've been in a bit of a writing rut.

If anyone's unfortunate enough to be going through bullying, I've been there and I want you to know that it gets better. In the meantime, surround yourself with people that won't bring you down. And while the future can look very bleak, don't let someone who's full of hate and is truly despicable bring you down. You're better than they will ever be.

Also, I'm sure you've seen this but on the net but, I adore this kid who stood up to a bully for his gay classmate:

"Dear kid bullying the only openly gay boy in class,  
I dare you to lay a finger on him.

Sincerely,  
The linebacker with two amazing dads."

C: I may feel like pulling a bit of inspiration from it (I wish I'd had someone so courageous in my class), so I'm disclaiming it as well as the Kingdom Hearts characters (which I always forget to do x_x).

ALSO I'm taking a stab at naming my chapters :'D

Enjoy~

Rating: **M**

Summary: "Sometimes all you have to do is believe in yourself and trust in who you are and you'll see that everything will be alright." AkuRoku. Requestfic for The crows eye for Bully Awareness Month. Rated M for possibilities.

**Believe**

~o~ Chapter One ~ Curiosity ~o~  
_"Bullying builds character like nuclear waste creates superheroes. It's a rare occurrence and often does much more damage than endowment." ― Zack W. Van  
_~o~

A small blond with disheveled hair, best described as permanent bed-head simply because he didn't care enough to style it, exhaled heavily though his nose a he paid for his lunch. It was his second semester of his freshman year at Oblivion High and he wasn't looking forward to it one bit. Already, his life was complete hell. He couldn't imagine getting through three and a half more years _if _he didn't fail any more classes.

He was Roxas Strife—the small slender boy that nobody talked to, the little petite boy that made all of the girls jealous because he had a better build than them, coupled with gorgeous blue eyes and windswept blond hair. That weird quiet kid that wore glasses and was always drawing. The boy that was far too much like his sister who had graduated right before he'd entered high school- beautiful, kind, smart, polite, artistic, talented, and…

Roxas cringed when he rounded the corner and a familiar figure blocked his way. The captain of the Blitzball Team, Seifer Almasy. Roxas cringed inwardly but didn't look to anybody for help. He was well aware of how things were by now. All his classmates were good for was turning their backs on him. He was used to being ostracized. It didn't hurt anymore. At least, that's what he kept telling himself.

"Fag!"

The blond's shoulders visibly tensed. It had all started with his sister, Naminé. She'd gone out with her best friend of five years, Xion, risking public scrutiny and hostility. Lucky Roxas had gotten dragged into the mess when someone pointed out that he was 'the dyke's little brother' on the first day of school, and assumed that he was gay. When he didn't say a word in his own defense, the rumor spread throughout Oblivion High like wildfire.

Little did they know that their assumption was entirely correct. However, Roxas would never give them the satisfaction of knowing such a thing. Roxas bit the inside of his cheek. He was absolutely miserable and it was reflecting on his life outside of school, as well as his schoolwork. He was grounded by cruel laughter.

"Aww, look Rai, the little _fairy_ is afraid to talk to us." His lackeys Rai and Vinni smirked while the girl, Fuu, rolled her eyes, calling him stupid for not answering when spoken to by Seifer. Roxas' lower lip trembled as Vinnie stole his milk. Laughing cruelly, Seifer grasped the honey haired blond's tray, shoving it into him and dumping the food all over Roxas. Then he hit him hard, sending him to the floor, still laughing. He laughed harder as Vinnie poured milk all over him. "Have a nice lunch, _cupcake_." Roxas shuddered.

"Teacher's comin' man," Vinnie warned. Immediately, Seifer helped Roxas up, giving him a warning glare as he did.

"Roxas! What happened to you!" Roxas shook his head.

"Nothing Ms. Hikari… I tripped," he said quietly to the wine haired teacher. She looked unconvinced.

"Well go get cleaned up, kiddo. Unless you want to wear your lunch all day. I'll write you a pass."

"Yes ma'am."

~o~  
_"Circumstances are beyond human control, but our conduct is our own power." –Benjamin Disraeli_  
~o~

Roxas' first two weeks back were hell. He continued to 'trip' because he was 'clumsy' and began wearing darker clothing, fearing staining the ones he liked. More bruises showed up on his pale, delicate, skin, so he wore arm socks to hide them. His eyes were always downcast and hopeless. He never, ever, smiled anymore.

When Monday marked the fourteenth day, the blond found himself in the back of his favorite classroom, doodling in his sketchbook fiercely and not looking forward to his fourteenth day of not having lunch. He needed a way to vent, to let out his frustration and so he was doing exactly that. Ms. Hikari's voice got his attention and snapped his mind out of its haze.

"Class, we have a new student transferring in from Radiant Garden," she said, almost excitedly.

He clenched the pencil more tightly, snapping it in half. Great. Another kid to make his life complete _hell_. He glanced at the tall, lanky red-head with disgust before scowling at his broken pencil. _Just_ what Oblivion High needed. Another pretentious jock.

"Yo! Name's Axel. I'm pretty well rounded," he began to explain before Roxas tuned him out as he said something that made the girls giggle. _Of course._ Axel was just _perfect_, wasn't he? The short blond rolled his eyes and picked at his eraser for a few moments, barely catching what the red-head said next. "Did the brooding little blond in the back of the room catch all of that?" Roxas cheeks flushed in both anger and embarrassment. It worsened when the rest of the class _laughed_ at him.

Roxas wanted to fall into a hole and never come out. Like Alice from Wonderland. Then he'd be far, far away. Away from stupid red-headed jerks and the rest of the miserable town he lived in.

He glanced at the boy and groaned inwardly as he _grinned_. It wasn't just an ordinary grin either. It was of Cheshire proportions. Like that mischievous Cheshire cat. Roxas glanced away as his mind pointed out that he'd made another Wonderland reference.

"Axel, why don't you have a seat next to Roxas," Ms. Hikari murmured. The seats surrounding the blond were the only open ones in the entire room. Nobody sat next to the 'weird four-eyed gay kid'. Roxas tried not to notice how handsome the red-head was when he gave the teacher a charming smile.

"Sounds good to me." Roxas fought the urge to bang his head against his desk as the boy sauntered toward him. He also tried to ignore the way that his heart was racing. He couldn't. So, he opted for banging his head against his desk hard.

"Hey," the red-head said quietly.

"_What?" _Roxas groaned.

"I know I'm awesome and all but I didn't think you'd faint because of it." The blond glared darkly as his classmates snickered.

"You are the furthest thing from 'awesome' that I've ever seen." The red-head smirked and Roxas rolled his eyes. "I feel sorry for your parents."

"Me too," the red-head whispered lowly enough so that only Roxas could hear, "I've heard that it's hard, raising a sexy beast." Roxas glared distastefully.

"Your mother must be so proud." Axel shrugged.

"Wouldn't know. I don't have one." Roxas' brows furrowed.

"I'm sorry…"

"Axel! Roxas! Pay attention please!" The blond flushed before facing the front. He paid close attention to the lecture until Axel poked him in the side, making the boy squeak and blush again. It deepened when he realized that there was a note on his lap. Quickly he read it. _It's alright. Have lunch with me._

Roxas watched the red-head in his peripheral vision but said nothing. Nonetheless, Axel was oozing with confidence. Roxas contemplated it. Perhaps company wouldn't be so bad, he reasoned. Not that he'd let the red-head know that, of course. Besides, he was curious about his new red-headed classmate.

~o~

A/n: Thoughts? Thanks (:

Oh and, remember, bullying isn't cool, mmkay? It can lead to bullycide, (suicide caused because of bullying).

I'm posting this as I write, even though it's early, 'cos currently, I'm uncertain of how long it will be.


	2. Courage

A/n: Ooh 8 reviews already~? –loves on fans- Thank you for the support :D!

**Believe**

~o~ Chapter Two ~ Courage ~o~  
_"Courage is fire, bullying is smoke." -Benjamin Disraeli_  
~o~

No one had ever taken a genuinely positive interest in Roxas before and the blond found that it made him flustered and uncertain of what to do. It had been a month and he felt like he couldn't stay grounded. His head was so up in the clouds that it barely registered that he was getting shoved into the lockers anymore as he waited for the red-head to go eat lunch.

Axel had always found him in the hallway, getting shoved around by everyone else and being taunted about being gay. The moment the tall red-head would put his arm around the small blond protectively, however, the harassment stopped.

"I don't know why you let them push you around," he said when they were alone. "If you'd just stand up for yourself and show them that you aren't afraid, you'd see that there's absolutely no substance behind their taunts."

"There's more of them than there are of me." The red-head shrugged.

"You be surprised if you did something about it. Besides, you'd feel much better about yourself," he replied as they got in line for lunch. Roxas shook his head as a group of upper classmen greeted Axel amiably.

"Hey, Demyx! Hi Zexion." He grinned at the girl that was sticking her gum into Zexion's hair. "Hey, beautiful, I don't think we've met." The blonde rolled her eyes. The taller boy, with the mowhawk and the mullet laughed.

"Sorry, Axe, Larx doesn't like red-heads anymore." He smiled at her charmingly and she blushed.

"Why not?"

"Well uh, Ms. Hikari didn't respond well to-" he began, yelping in pain when she smacked him upside the head with her textbook.

"Shut up, you dumbass!" She yelled, face reddening further. "I don't need the problems that kid has," she hissed, glaring at Roxas. Axel blinked and Roxas blushed.

"No offence, cutie," she said, winking at the red-head before dragging her two 'idiots' as she'd called them toward P.E. Axel shook his head.

"Well. That's a first." Roxas stared at the taller boy, confused.

"You aren't going to make fun of her?"

"Why would I do something like that? People like that are ignorant and biased." Roxas blinked, a bit stunned.

"How do you do it?" The red-head tilted his head to the side.

"Do what?"

"How do you go around with so much confidence and charisma?" The red-head grinned.

"Cause I've embraced who I am and I'm not afraid to be me. You should really give it a try, blondie." Roxas flushed from embarrassment.

"Don't call me that!" Axel snorted.

"'Kay, shorty." He smirked as the blond became more flustered.

"Axel!" The red-head merely chuckled and walked forward. A gap had grown between them and the people ahead of them as they'd talked. They progressed, getting to the door and standing at the serving line, which had the meal options. The taller boy visibly brightened.

"Look Rox, they have tacos." Roxas made a face.

"I'll pass."

"What? Why? Tacos are amazing."

"I don't like meat," he replied, ordering cheese pizza. Axel snorted. "What?"

"Your sexuality would suggest otherwise," he whispered. Roxas turned dark red.

"Axel!" The red-head laughed, unable to stop, even as he gasped for air.

"S-sorry Roxas I couldn't resist!" He gasped before going into another fit of laughter. "Haha, oh man, my lungs hurt." Roxas rolled his eyes.

"Serves you right," he muttered. Axel pouted as they took their food, waiting for Roxas as he got a salad.

"You're not very nice, you know that?"

"Neither are you!" Axel snickered.

"I know." The blond pouted and then punched the red-head's arm. Grinning, the taller boy ruffled Roxas' blond spikes. "Man. Those other kids are missing out. You're fun." The shorter boy frowned.

"Whatever, no I'm not. You don't have to sugar coat the way things are. I'm boring and undeserving of your time." He still couldn't even begin to fathom why the red-head was hanging around him. Frowning as they moved again, and getting a carton of milk from the cooler for each of them, Axel wondered what had put the boy in such a mindset. Before he could ask, Roxas stopped abruptly, going rigid, something the red-head had never seen him do before. He followed the boy's gaze to a tough looking guy, surrounded by lackeys.

Before a word was spoken, Axel knew. It was obvious.

"Hey, _you_." Axel blinked, realizing that he was being addressed.

"Uh, yeah?"

"You're new right?"

"Yeah, somewhat…?" The boy wearing a beanie smirked.

"You must not know then."

"Know what?" He sneered at Roxas.

"About _him_. Watch out, you might catch his _disease_." The red-head blinked.

"What?"

"Unless you _want_ to be a fag, too." The red-head tensed and Roxas tried to ignore how hurt it made him feel. He couldn't. Briefly, he wondered if Seifer had let the red-head to get close to him, simply to make it hurt more when the taller boy left... He closed his eyes, feeling the sting of oncoming tears.

Axel snorted in amusement and slung his arm around the blond's shoulders, grinning from ear to ear and making the boy stare at him.

"What makes you so sure that being gay is contagious?" Seifer crossed his arms.

"That's obvious. His sister gave it to him." His lackeys nodded in agreement and the red-head quirked an eyebrow before laughing harder.

"C'mon Roxas, we're wasting time with these closed minded fools." Roxas stared at the taller boy, his eyes widened. _Nobody_ spoke about Seifer that way. _Especially_ when Seifer was right in front of them. The older blond sneered.

"You got a death wish, chicken-wuss?" Axel snorted at Seifer when the blond took a fighting stance and rolled his eyes before smirking.

"No can do, shortie. Squall's looking forward to me having tryouts tonight. I simply can't do that if I get detention for beating you bloody."

"Shut up!" The blond yelled, taking a swing at the red-head.

"Seifer Almasy! What do you think you're doing!" The boy's face paled as the principal stormed up to him. Axel simply grinned impishly. "You of all people should know better! You're on the Disciplinary Committee!" Axel smirked amusedly as the bully continued to get scolded and then was yanked away by the ear. Then he looked down at Roxas.

"C'mon squirt. I'll protect you from that idiot." Roxas blinked owlishly and obediently followed him to a vacant table. They sat in silence for a few moments, Roxas munching on croutons and Axel eating his first taco. Hating the silence and missing their usual banter that he'd become so accustomed to, the blond attempted to start a conversation by asking something that had been nagging at him.

"Axel… what happened to your mother?" The red-head shrugged.

"Dunno. She just… never wanted me. Y'kno?" Pretty blue eyes widened and Roxas immediately regretted asking.

"I'm sorry…" Axel shook his head.

"Nah! Don't be." He leant closer. "I've got the two best fathers a guy could ever want." Roxas blinked at the red-head.

"That's why you aren't afraid of me, isn't it?" The taller boy chuckled.

"Nope. I'm pretty open, actually." Roxas nodded.

"Want to know a secret?" Axel leant closer.

"Yeah."

"I never told anyone that I was gay. They just assumed because of my sister." Green eyes widened.

"That's terrible! And they treat you this way because of an assumption?" Roxas nodded.

"Personally, I don't think it's any of their business what my sexuality is." Axel nodded.

"Definitely." He took another bite of his taco and looked thoughtful for a moment. "Want to know a secret about me?" Roxas nodded. The red-head glanced either way before speaking.

"My mom named me Lea Axel before she gave me up but my dads changed my name to Axel Lea."

"Why?" The blond asked curiously.

"They thought that it was more masculine." Cracking a half smile, Roxas nodded.

"I like Axel Lea better."

The pair continued to talk and barely noticed that a group of girls coming up to them until one with brown hair and green eyes cleared her throat. Axel looked up in surprise but Roxas didn't make eye contact with the group.

"Axel Bliss?" A short eyebrow rose.

"Yeah?" She and another girl made an excited noise.

"We heard that you were trying out for Blitzball and Track after school today."

"Yeah and…?"

"Well, if you didn't have anybody to cheer you on…" Roxas stared at his food, having a sinking feeling. He didn't want to be left behind by Axel already… However, he didn't blame the red-head if he wanted to. It wasn't like he had anything going for him. Not like Axel did.

"Actually, Roxas here was going to watch me." The blond was so surprised and momentarily angry because Axel was planning to drag him along without asking, that he kicked Axel under the table. The red-head stared in disbelief for a moment before smirking wildly. "He owes me a favor." The blond scoffed at the red-head. He could feel the girls' glares on him. Then, to get back at the red-head, he spoke.

"There's more than enough room if you want to join me …ladies…" This time Axel kicked Roxas.

"Oh we'd love to!"

"Yeah, I bet you would," the red-head muttered under his breath.

"Bye Axel! Uh… bye gay geeky kid." Roxas flushed and the red-head gave him a shit eating grin.

"Have fun with the girls later." Roxas' flush deepened.

"They don't even know who I am," he said miserably. "I'm just 'the gay loser'."

"Nah, you're Roxas." The blond shrugged. "Don't let them define who you are. Have some confidence."

Roxas shrugged, smiling a bit despite trying to hide how special the red-head made him feel. It was something he'd never had before.

"Thanks for the advice, Axel." The red-head smiled happily.

"Anytime, Rox."

~o~

Watching Axel try out for track was horrible for Roxas. Not only was he squished between two squealing girls, but he also couldn't tear his eyes away from his new acquaintance. Roxas took in a shuddering breath and tried to ignore the way that Axel's lithe body was so amazing while trying to appear calm. He didn't want anyone to notice.

His fingers trembled and his heart pounded. The only kid in school that had ever been kind to him –noticed him even- was hot as hell. He didn't want to ruin things with his only, dare he even think it for fear of finding out it wasn't true, friend. He tried to shake the attraction away. He didn't want Axel to disappear. It would be too painful.

Roxas closed his eyes, rather than watch the agile red-head and tried to block everything out. He was abruptly brought back to awareness when one of the girls squealed and then began swooning over the red-head. He glared at her, unable to fight back a wave of jealousy before he could catch himself. She leered at him and he mumbled something about her giving him a headache.

"Leave then. Nobody wants you here anyway." Roxas found himself flushing and staring at the ground as they laughed at him. Then he ran out of the gym and slumped to the floor. He closed his eyes as he leant against the wall, regretting coming at all. Axel probably hadn't even wanted him to come. He'd probably only wanted to use him as an excuse. He bit his lower lip has he was hit with overwhelming sadness and depression. Maybe he should just kill himself—nobody wanted him anyway. Not his homophobic father, who had left them, not his sister Naminé, who had Olette, not his mother, who was always at work to get away from him, not the kids at school, and certainly not Axel. He had no business even hoping for things to be different with the beautiful red-head.

"Rooxas?" He heard said red-head calling. Roxas bit his lower lip hard as Axel called his name again but didn't move, much less say anything. He was startled when someone kicked him. "Hey! What're you doing, blondie?" Roxas shrugged. "You came here to watch me so get your ass up and get in there." Roxas stared up at the red-head. His eyes were shining and his lower lip was trembling. "Ah shit, Roxas… what happened? What did they do to you?"

"Nothing! They told me the truth! Nobody wants me here, least of all you…"

"Roxas…" The red-head said both sadly and quietly. "How could that be true? I invited you…" The blond went back to brooding.

"As a cover to keep the girls away from you," he muttered.

"No, Roxas. I wanted you to come," Axel crouched down in front of him, "because you're my friend." Deep blue met with vibrant green and Roxas' heart pounded.

"We're friends?" The red-head flushed.

"Uhm, that is… if you don't want to be, we don't have to…" Roxas smiled a little.

"Of course I want to be friends." Axel grinned cheekily.

"Well get your ass in there then!" The blond laughed.

"Okay." He stared at Axel's pale hand when it was offered to him, shaking a little as he took it.

"C'mon partner," the red-head said, grinning all the while, "you're gonna make me late." Roxas swallowed, trying to alleviate his dry throat.

"Y-yeah, sorry…" The taller boy regarded him curiously.

"It's alright. Just don't sit by the girls this time, okay?"

"Yeah… o-okay…" he mumbled, following the red-head into the gym.

This time, he chose to sit several seats up from the girls and off to the side. He didn't want to hear them obsessing over Axel or to hear the things they were saying about him for coming back. Instead, he tried his best to ignore them, to just focus on his friend. He smiled a little at the thought of being friends with Axel. He caught a flash of red and focused on Axel just in time to see him take off his shirt… and to blush furiously.

Taking calming breaths to regain his slipping control, and thinking of the things about having Axel around that he didn't want to lose, Roxas forced himself to calm down. He bit his lower lip, realizing that the red-head was… rather good at playing Blitz Ball. He was toe to toe with Seifer already and he could tell that the blond wasn't pleased. Roxas smiled a little to himself. He was certain that Axel was good at every sport he tried. He already had a major advantage—his height. His smile widened at the thought of Seifer getting so flustered because of it.

It didn't take much longer—only three goals later on Axel's behalf before coach 'Squall' as the kids called him, was blowing his whistle and ending tryouts. Roxas leant back, watching his red-headed friend talk to the man for a moment or two before zoning out. His mind immediately went back to how hot the boy was. Roxas shuddered. He wasn't sure of how he'd control himself around Axel when… He snapped to attention when he heard the distinct sound of someone approaching him.

The red-head grinned as he climbed the bleachers, still shirtless, and Roxas forgot how to breathe.

"I did it! I got in," he said excitedly. Roxas smiled halfway because he was accepted and halfway because of how he gesticulated when he spoke. His heart was pounding wildly.

"That's great, Axel." The red-head's grin widened.

"You should come to practices and watch. Maybe you'll feel like trying out too if you see how much fun it is." Roxas shook his head.

"I… don't think that'll go well, Axel." The taller boy pouted a little and Roxas hated seeing him upset. "But… if you want, I can watch you anyway." Axel brightened and sat beside the blond.

"Yeah! And then we can go to my house and hang out and study. Ms. Hikari told me that you were behind and thought that since we were friends, I could help you out." Roxas blushed a little.

"Uh y-yeah, sure… I just have to ask my mom first…"

"Okay, great."

"Axel! That was so amazing," one of the girls called to him flirtatiously. The red-head's attention shifted to her and he smirked.

"I've always been good at sports." The group of girls giggled.

"Hey, if you aren't busy next weekend, we're throwing a party at my house." Her eyes locked with Roxas'. "It's exclusive." The red-head shrugged.

"I'm not going if Roxas can't come." The blond smiled a little and Axel ruffled his hair, making his cheeks flush. "Sorry," he said before smirking wildly.

"Oh no! He can come too!" The red-head grinned.

"We'll think about it."

-TBC-

A/n: Still liking it? I'm having fun with it. Reviews inspire me, so let me know what you think if you want me to update soon~  
Thanks for reading :]


	3. Cowardice

A/n: Thanks for the reviews :D I'm thrilled that you think so highly of this (:  
OH and uh **_Guest_**, since I can't reply to you privately, I think I understand what you're saying (the wording puzzled me a little) but, I also think that putting more than one person's actions in a paragraph makes it more interactive. Thanks for the advice though.

Alsooo… I know it's been forever since I updated. My life's in an upheaval again. BUT I almost have everything figured out, soooo… maybe I'll get back to writing more soon? Maaaaybe? I hope so anyway. Anyhow, enjoy (:

**Believe**

~o~ Chapter Three ~ Cowardice ~o~  
_"Some people won't be happy until they've pushed you to the ground. What you have to do is have the courage to stand your ground and not give them the time of day. Hold on to your power and never give it away."― Donna Schoenrock_  
~o~

Under the guise of staying the night at a friend's house, which Roxas' mother had been thrilled about, they left for the party. The enthusiasm had puzzled Roxas a little bit but he was certain that she was simply excited to have him out of the house. After all, she hadn't minded him wanting to study with the red-head either. Roxas hadn't said anything yet to Axel, however. He was avoiding it to avoid seeing Axel at practice because ever since that Friday afternoon, Roxas' feelings for his new friend had escalated and he couldn't stop it. It terrified him.

Presently, they were walking. It was colder than usual for being mid February- Valentine's day, to be exact. Roxas was in his own little world, thinking distracting things until Axel nudged him in the ribs.

"Ow! What was that for?" Axel laughed.

"I was making sure you were still in there. You've been looking like a zombie lately." The blond flushed.

"I just have stuff on my mind."

"Like what?" Roxas shrugged.

"Stuff," he mumbled. Axel looked up at the sky and hummed.

"Me too." The blond eyed him curiously and his friend laughed. "Like Valentine's Day, for example."

"What about it?"

"I don't get it." Roxas shrugged.

"It's a day for lovers." Axel snorted.

"Seems more like a commercial holiday—invented for businesses so that they can make money. I mean, you're supposed to buy candy, a card, flowers, stuffed animals, jewelry, romantic dinners, lingerie and often times even more, to show your girlfriend or boyfriend that you care. Wouldn't simply being with them show that?"

"That makes sense."

"I just don't understand the hype." Roxas laughed a little at the look on Axel's face. "What?"

"I've just never had this discussion before." Axel blinked.

"Oh. Sorry."

"No! It isn't bad but…"

"But?"

"Idunno, it's just new." Axel nodded a little and sighed.

"I bet the party will be holiday themed." He scoffed a little. "Why do they even call it a holiday? It's not like we get to miss school for it." Roxas laughed again.

"If you don't like the party, we can leave. I don't mind."

"You don't? How come?" Roxas blushed darkly.

"No reason." Axel stopped and slung an arm around Roxas' shoulders, making him stop as well. His heart was thudding painfully fast.

"Aw c'mon, Rox. You can tell me." Roxas swallowed a little.

"I'd rather spend time with you," he mumbled. Axel grinned.

"Same here! But first, let's see how lame it is, since we're almost there." The shorter boy smiled a little.

"Okay." Axel let his arm fall to his side and they resumed walking.

"Rox?"

"Hm?"

"Have you asked your mom about coming to my house yet?" Roxas kicked at some snow.

"She's thinking about it…"

"Oh," the red-head replied. Roxas felt guilty because he'd sounded disappointed. He bit his lower lip, hating that he was too much of a coward to tell Axel the truth. Painfully long moments of silence lapsed before the red-head spoke again. "When I was little I used to love winter."

"How come?"

"Because I could run around and pretend that I was a fire breathing dragon," he replied, blowing out his breath and exaggerating the plume that escaped for emphasis. It made Roxas smile a little. "Now, I just hate the cold."

They walked in silence for a moment or two, Roxas' mind wrapping around what the older boy had said. "Why did you tell me that?" Axel shrugged.

"You looked sad so I wanted to try to cheer you up." Roxas stared up at him and Axel ruffled his hair. "Feel better, partner?" The blond flushed.

"Yeah, a little," he mumbled, trying not to smile. His heart pounded as Axel's arm wrapped around him again.

"Good," the older boy replied, ruffling his hair, "I'm glad." Roxas' mouth opened as he contemplated asking to just ditch the party but he closed it when the red-head stopped. "Oh look, we're here…" Axel hadn't sounded enthused, but Roxas simply grunted in agreement.

"I guess."

"C'mon, partner, let's go inside."

"Okay."

~o~

Axel remained unenthused about the party. It was, as he'd guessed, 'holiday' themed. Roxas on the other hand seemed to be enjoying it, so he dealt with it, brooding the entire time and rejecting girls that wanted to dance with him. That is, until a hand appeared in front of him. Roxas' hand. Axel stared up at him and Roxas laughed.

"Don't look so sour. C'mon, enjoy yourself a little." The red-head smiled a little, taking Roxas' hand and letting him help him up.

"Come with me," he whispered into Roxas' ear as a slow song began to play. Roxas blushed, his heart stuttering.

"O-okay," he whispered back, staring into the red-head's beautiful green eyes. Before he knew what was happening, Axel was dragging him outside. They could still hear the music and Axel smiled softly.

"Dance with me."

"…what? Why?" The red-head laughed.

"Cos I only wanna dance with you. Please?" Roxas swallowed. He couldn't tell if the red-head was joking or not.

"O-okay…" He gasped silently when his friend pulled him close and they danced right there, under the stars. Roxas rested his head against the taller boy's chest. Axel's heart was racing. He froze. He was imagining things… right? Roxas opened his mouth but nothing came out. He couldn't make himself speak, even though he wanted to badly. The blond looked up just as the song ended.

"Hey I'll be right back, okay?" Roxas nodded.

"Okay." He watched sadly as Axel left, their fingers slipping apart. He was imagining things. He had to be. Axel was gorgeous and popular—way too good for him. There was no way he'd want someone like him. He sighed a few minutes later, watching his breath escape, feeling the sting of oncoming tears. Why was he so stupid?

Roxas heard laughter and froze, tensing up.

"Aw look, the little chicken-wuss fairy is all alone. What's wrong, did your little friend get sick of you already?" Roxas' face reddened and he stared at the ground. He flinched when Seifer grasped the lapel of his jacket, raising him off the ground and making him stumble. Wide cerulean eyes met hateful icy blue and before Roxas could even think of what to say, a fist collided with his face, knocking off his glasses. Laughing, the bigger, stronger, blond stepped on them, smashing them. Then, he sent the smaller boy to the ground and he and his lackeys began punching and kicking him. Roxas tried to curl up to protect himself but it did no good and the four successfully beat him bloody. Then Seifer crouched down, fisted Roxas' hair and sneered. "Next time, stay where you belong," he warned before spitting in the smaller boy's face. He laughed as Roxas began to cry. "You're such a _girl_." There was more laughter from the people who had circled around them to watch the show. Roxas wanted to disappear for forever, to just make it all stop.

"Hey! What the fuck do you think you're doing?!"

"Shit," the blond muttered, throwing Roxas down and hastily leaving the scene. Roxas closed his eyes, curling up as he trembled.

"Roxas..?" He heard, flinching as he was touched. "Oh man, I'm so sorry… I wouldn't have left you if I'd known…" Hesitantly Roxas opened his eyes and peeked at the red-head. "Shit… they broke your glasses…" More tears spilled from Roxas' eyes and Axel helped him sit up, wiping his face off with his sleeve. "Shh," it's alright, the older boy whispered, winding his strong arms around the smaller boy and letting him cry. "Let's go to my house, okay? It'll be okay…" Roxas shrugged, wordlessly allowing the red-head to help him up. The other kids were still gawking and Axel glared. "Got a problem?" he snarled. When they continued to stare stupidly, the red-head's temper flared. "Move!" Roxas flinched a little, more than surprised at how quickly his classmates scurried away.

As they walked, Roxas trailed behind a little bit after that. Axel found himself having to stop and wait for his friend to catch up. On one such instance, Roxas hit a patch of ice, slipping and falling to the ground hard. Axel hurried over to him, his concerned eyes locking with agonized blue. Roxas grimaced and tried to take a deep breath as Axel helped him sit up.

"Are you okay?" The smaller boy went quiet for a long time. Then he began to quiver and clenched his broken glasses, shaking his head over and over again.

"My mom can't afford new ones." He began crying again. "Everything's my fault!" Strong arms wrapped around the fail boy.

"Shh, don't say that. None of this is your fault, Roxas." The blond only sobbed.

"Why do you even keep me around? I'm worthless, Axel…" The red-head held him closer, at a loss for what to say. Even if he hadn't been… he was certain that Roxas wouldn't have listened. Instead, he simply held the boy and let him cry.

They walked slowly, silently, after that. Axel stayed close, keeping an arm around his friend for support and helped Roxas avoid patches of ice. When they got to the red-head's house, Roxas stared at the ground while Axel unlocked the door.

"Here, come with me," the red-head encouraged, leading Roxas inside. Roxas followed wordlessly as his friend led him to the couch. He took off his dirty coat, setting it on the floor, and then sat. "I'll be back, okay?" When his friend nodded, Axel hurried off to the bathroom. The red-head rummaged through the drawers quickly, finding a washcloth and running warm water over it, as well as peroxide and bandages, just in case. He set the items on the counter, wrung out the washcloth and shut off the water, before taking them back to the living room. When he got there, Roxas was asleep, still clutching his broken glasses. Axel looked at him sadly before setting the things he'd brought on the floor. Then, carefully he laid the blond down and gently wrenched the glasses out of his hand. He knelt before Roxas for a moment or two before gently wiping off the small blond's face.

"Why can't you understand? You're so wonderful… so _real_…" He sighed heavily and pressed his forehead against Roxas', watching the boy sleep. He shook his head. "Sometimes all you have to do is believe in yourself and trust in who you are and you'll see that everything will be alright." The red-head sighed again, gently, as he leaned back and finished wiping off his friend's face with the warm washcloth. "I wish you could see that…" He hesitated a moment or two before brushing blond hair out of Roxas' face, his heart lurching. When he was satisfied with his handiwork, he smiled sadly, gingerly touching a bruise on Roxas' cheek. It made his heart ache and his blood boil. "I won't ever let them hurt you again," he whispered, kissing the boy's forehead gently.

"Aww Axel, he's so cute, yo'! Following in my footsteps, son?" Axel yelped, jumping, more than startled when his father spoke. Both of them were directly behind him, assuming quite a lot. He turned, just in time to see Reno winking as he put an arm around his husband- a blond that looked, remarkably, a lot like Roxas. "Remember now, use the glove or no love," he said with a grin. Axel flushed darkly.

"Reno!" he yelled under his breath, completely livid but not wanting to wake Roxas. The red-head smirked.

"Yes, Axel?"

"Knock it off! He's straight." Sharp blue eyes didn't miss the disappointment reflecting in the red-head's eyes.

"You sure about that, kiddo?" Axel pouted a bit before standing up and pushing his way past his parents, storming off to the laundry room with the washcloth and Roxas' coat, to get away from his fathers.

~o~

Morning came, and Roxas was more than surprised to find that his cuts were bandaged and that his coat was clean and neatly folded. His glasses were still broken but Roxas hardly noticed over the smell of food.

He wandered into the kitchen and Axel looked up from the range, smiling brightly. "Good morning, I made you breakfast, so eat up." Roxas' eyes travelled to the food on the table and he smiled a little as Axel joined him.

"Thanks." Axel's smile widened.

"Oh and hurry."

"Why..?" the blond asked as he set down his glasses and loaded his plate with food.

"We're going to the optometrist." Roxas stopped what he was doing, with his fork halfway in a sausage, and stared at his friend, looking at him as if he'd sprouted another head.

"Why?" Axel hesitated for a moment or two and stared down at Roxas' glasses sadly.

"I've only got a crappy part time job… but I want to help you pay for new ones," he said quietly. Roxas bit his lower lip and shook his head.

"I don't deserve new glasses Axel… I can use tape or something…"

"Why? To give those jerks another reason to rag on you, blondie?" Roxas blushed darkly.

"I don't want you to spend that kind of money on me." The red-head raised his friend's chin and Roxas' face noticeably darkened as their eyes met.

"I want to, got it memorized?" Roxas attempted to swallow a few times and settle down the butterflies that were fluttering around in his stomach and trying to work their way up his esophagus. He couldn't.

"Y-yeah," he croaked. Axel's face was so close… too close… Roxas could smell the peppermint gum he was chewing and the musky deodorant he was wearing. It made it hard to breathe, almost made him dizzy and nauseous, even. Then the red-head smiled a big, happy, genuine smile that made Roxas' heart stop, even though his vision was blurry. He knew right then, that he wanted to see that smile every day for the rest of his life. Before he could even open his mouth, much less speak, the red-head did.

"Well c'mon then partner, eat up so we can get going."

~o~

Roxas was surprised at how fun their trip to the optometrist was. He and Axel tried on dorky glasses, made each other laugh and generally had a good time. That is, until Axel picked up a pair of black rimmed glasses.

"I think that these would look nice on you," he said, smiling excitedly as he put them on the blond. He found himself staring a bit after that.

"What?"

"Lookin' good," he said jokingly as he nudged him with his elbow, although he was quite serious. Roxas shrugged.

"I can't really see, so I can't tell."

"Well, trust me, you look good, blondie." Roxas smiled a little as Axel looked through other options.

"Okay, I will."

"Will what?" Their eyes locked.

"Trust you." Axel blushed a little bit. Not really noticing, Roxas took off the glasses and handed them to the red-head. "Thanks… for this."

"Y-yeah, no problem. That's what friends are for, right?" Roxas' fingers rested on Axel's and his eyes welled up a little.

"I really mean it. Thank you."

~o~


End file.
